In Britain, the Noble Phantasm: Divine Key

If all these weapons were handed over to him, he could definitely increase Camelot's military strength by five or six times!

Unfortunately, the Hall of Heroes before them was now in ruins, with nearly two-thirds of it completely destroyed. The spears and golden shields had long since become rusty, dull, and dilapidated from the erosion of time.

If it's like this outside, I imagine the armor draped over the chairs inside isn't much better off.

"It's like some are dying of thirst while others are drowning in floods. Odin, that good-for-nothing, no wonder you got eaten by dogs!" Yanan couldn't help but blurt out a curse, feeling his blood pressure rise with anger.

“The Rainbow Bridge is right behind Valhalla,” Nidhogg said. “You can just walk there.”

Anan took a deep breath, suppressing the resentment in his heart, and led Artoria into Valhalla.

The Hall of Heroes was also a desolate and dilapidated scene, with broken walls, rubble, and scattered tiles. Light shone through the broken roof, and apart from the footsteps and breathing of the two of them, there was almost no sound. It was so quiet that it was suffocating.

The ground was covered with a lot of rubble, and occasionally one could glimpse miscellaneous items such as wine vessels, armor, longswords, and chairs, which involuntarily brought to mind the scene of the Enherias who were lured here by the Valkyries fighting by day and drinking heavily by night.

Unfortunately, all of that is now just a thing of the past.

"Teacher, look there."

Artoria seemed to have noticed something and pointed ahead.

Following the direction she pointed, Yanan looked and discovered that there was a complete wall not far away, covered in rich colors, which looked like a mural.

The two walked forward together, and Yanan casually flicked out a magic ball of light, illuminating the surrounding scenery, before looking up at the content on the mural.

The first thing that catches the eye is an old man with a single eye and a white beard, wearing an eagle helmet, golden armor, holding a long spear, and a golden ring on his wrist. Two fierce wolves serve at his feet, and two crows perch on his shoulders. He sits high on a throne, and his single eye reveals an indescribable depth, as if he can see the end of the world.

Such distinctive features allow almost anyone to recognize the old man instantly—

Odin, the great god!

To be honest, this painting depicts Odin so realistically that it captures at least three-tenths of his spirit, making Anan feel a little guilty when he first saw it.

After all, he had just mentally cursed this god-king to the bone...

Anan's gaze then moved downwards, discovering that the murals depicted other gods, as well as elves, dwarves, mortals, giants...

This mural depicts a forgotten era—

The gods dwell high in the sky, overlooking the mortal world and ruling over heaven and earth; elegant elves are regarded as friends by the gods, helping them manage the world together; honest dwarves spend their days moving through the mines, creating countless novel gadgets with their superb craftsmanship, and even forging the weapons of the gods; mortals live in the rich and prosperous Midgard, and although they often face attacks from giants, their lives remain prosperous and stable under the protection of the gods.

“This is… the Norse kingdom before Ragnarok,” Artoria said softly.

Yanan remained silent, a complex expression appearing in his eyes.

Seeing such a mural in a place is a great irony.

For some inexplicable reason, a thought suddenly popped into Anan's mind: what if Britain were to become like this in the future...?

No! I will absolutely not let that happen!

He clenched his fists tightly, a resolute look appearing in his dark eyes.

Artoria seemed quite engrossed in the mural, and stepped forward to gently touch it with her hand.

"what?"

She looked at the paint on her fingers, blinked in confusion, and seemed to have several question marks appear on her forehead.

"This mural... was it just painted?"

call--!!

A chilling, murderous aura suddenly swept over, and a slender figure burst out of the darkness like lightning, a gleaming spear aimed straight at Artoria's head.

slam-la-

Golden chains suddenly emerged from nowhere, binding the attacker tightly in the blink of an eye. The attacker immediately felt all the power in his body dissipate, and helplessly released the spear in his hand, which fell to the ground with a thud.

When Yanan saw the attacker's face clearly, he was slightly taken aback:

"Valkyrie?"

Chapter 21 Valkyrie-Srud two-in-one

Bound by chains was a girl who looked to be about sixteen or seventeen years old. She had a graceful figure and beautiful features. Her golden hair fell to her waist, and her deep red eyes were as clear as agate. A rusty round shield hung on her left arm. Her slender legs were encased in black over-the-knee boots, and she wore a white dress with a golden eagle pattern.

What's most eye-catching is that she also has a pair of golden wings on her head that look like rabbit ears.

"Huh? You actually know she's Valkyrie?" Nidhogg asked in surprise. "Have you met her before?"

"Ahem, just a guess." Anan coughed lightly. "Who else but Valkyrie could be a woman who appears in Valhalla?"

Although the reason seemed reasonable, Nidhogg still felt that something was off.

Artoria looked at the legendary handmaid of Odin with curiosity, only to find that the other woman suddenly raised her head and stared intently at her.

She paused for a moment, then seemed to realize something. She looked down at her paint-stained fingers, hesitated for a while, and tentatively reached towards the mural.

"Well--!!"

Valkyrie let out muffled whimpers, clenching her silver teeth like a wild beast guarding its prey, her deep red, agate-like eyes glaring angrily at Artoria.

Artoria finally understood, and a hint of embarrassment appeared on her face as she said, "This mural... seems to be painted by her."

A thoughtful look appeared in Yanan's dark eyes as he stepped forward and stared directly into Valkyrie's eyes.

Those jewel-like, magnificent eyes were filled with a madness akin to that of a wild beast, and there was almost no trace of reason in them.

"Have they gone mad...?"

Yanan muttered something to himself and snapped his fingers.

A crimson feather fell from the void and merged into Valkyrie's head, causing her to suddenly fall silent, her eyes vacant.

Using the power of Feather Dust, Anaen reviewed all of Valkyrie's memories.

More than ten minutes later, he opened his eyes again, a look of realization appearing in them.

"So that's how it is."

"Teacher, what did you find?" Artoria asked curiously.

“This Valkyrie was a survivor of Ragnarok, but she went mad because of the trauma she suffered.” Anan turned around and looked at the tall mural. “This mural was indeed painted by her.”

"Why would she do that?" Artoria continued to ask.

“For the sake of inheritance,” Yanan said softly.

Inheritance? Artoria paused for a moment.

"Because she couldn't accept the ending of Ragnarok, she developed a kind of obsessive madness—she had to leave something behind to prove that they had ever existed." Gazing at the magnificent mural, Anahn sighed softly. "This mural is a product of this obsession. Besides this one, she painted the same murals in other places. She has been doing this for thousands of years, and to date, she has painted 894 murals."

894 murals! !

Artoria gasped, looking at the bewildered Valkyrie, her azure eyes filled with intense shock.

She couldn't imagine what kind of obsession could sustain someone doing the same thing for thousands of years.

“She hopes that one day, if an outsider comes here, he can take one of the murals out with him. Perhaps in this way, the stories of the Norse gods can continue to be told,” Anaen said softly.

"That's why she was so angry when she saw that I had accidentally damaged the mural."

Artoria's face showed a hint of guilt as she walked up to Valkyrie and bowed deeply: "I'm sorry that my negligence has tarnished your hopes. You are a truly respectable warrior."

Valkyrie, bound all over, showed no reaction, her eyes still filled with a deep emptiness.

"Teacher, can you help her return to normal?" Artoria looked at Anaen, her eyes filled with a pleading look.

“While I could certainly do that,” Yanan said calmly, arms crossed, “do you really think it would be a good thing for her?”

"She chose to run away back then because she couldn't face this tragic reality. Now, do you really want to drag her back into this world and make her witness this bleak and dark reality once again?"

Artoria hesitated for a moment, then looked at Anaen seriously and said, "But we always have to move forward, don't we? No one can stay in the past forever. If we are just immersed in the past and can't get out, then our lives will lose all meaning."

"I don't mean to interfere with her decision; I just hope that I can give her another chance to choose."

Anan gazed at Artoria, a hint of relief appearing in his eyes.

He stepped forward, gently ruffled Artoria's blonde hair, and exclaimed, "You've finally grown up, Lily."

Artoria lowered her head slightly, a blush appearing on her fair face, and a faint smile curved her lips.

Anan turned to Valkyrie, retrieved the chains of Judah, and then snapped his fingers.

Valkyrie shuddered, the emptiness in his eyes gradually fading, replaced by a rational gleam.

"here it is......"

She blinked in confusion, then suddenly groaned, knelt on the ground, grabbed her head with both hands, and a look of pain appeared on her face.

"What's wrong with her?" Artoria asked, sounding slightly nervous.

"It's nothing, it's just that all the memories from these thousands of years came flooding back at once, and she couldn't quite handle it," Yanan said calmly. "Don't worry, she is a Valkyrie blessed by Odin, this is nothing to her, she'll just feel pain for a while and then it'll be fine."

Just as he said, after five or six minutes, Valkyrie's expression gradually calmed down.

“Welcome back, Slud,” Yanan smiled. “How does it feel to be back in this world?”

"To be honest, it's terrible."

After a thousand years, the Valkyrie named Slud finally opened her mouth again, her clear voice carrying an ethereal quality like a clear spring.

She stood up, her deep red eyes no longer filled with the madness of before, but instead with a complexity that defied description.

"I can't believe so much time has passed." She looked at the ruins around her and laughed self-deprecatingly. "But what's the use of time? What's done is done, and what's lost can never be regained."

“Miss Valkyrie…” Artoria said softly, a hint of worry appearing in her azure eyes.

“You must be humans from the outside world,” Slud said, glancing at Anan and Artoria. “I never imagined that the fledglings once protected by the wings of the gods would grow to such a state. I wonder if the great gods foresaw this scene back then?”

She let out a soft, ambiguous laugh: "Forget it, there's no point in bringing this up now."

“Miss Valkyrie, although the age of the gods has ended, you are still alive. Your life is still long. You can choose to start a new life to wash away those sad memories,” Artoria advised, noticing that Slud's mood seemed off.

Slud shook her head: "Humans, although I know you brought my consciousness back with good intentions, and I am grateful for your willingness to help me, for me, there is no place in this world worth staying for anymore."

"Take whatever you like, I won't stop you, although I don't have the power to do so..."

Slud picked up the spear from the ground and walked outside, her thin figure filled with indescribable loneliness and sorrow.

Artoria watched the girl's retreating figure, her eyes dimming slightly.

She originally thought that Slud would be able to accept reality and move on after returning, but she did not expect that Ragnarok had such a great impact on her. Even after thousands of years, she still had not recovered.

Am I just imagining things?